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At the height of the Great Recession in 2009, when state revenue plummeted along with economic activity, the state government reluctantly included the Governor's Schools of Excellence program among a long roster of program cuts and reductions.

The low-cost program, begun in 1973, was popular and far more valuable than its modest cost. High school juniors attended multiweek summer programs in specific disciplines on college campuses around the state. The program gave students not only a leg up in their fields of interest, but a taste of campus life - great encouragement for the college careers.

And the program featured programs of particular interest to Pennsylvania, serving as an instrument against the exodus of talented young people that has plagued the state economy for decades.

The original program was for art but eventually expanded to include technology, teaching, urban teaching, health care, global entrepreneurship, agricultural science and science.

Now state Rep. Karen Boback, a Harvey's Lake Republican, plans to introduce a bill to re-establish at least three of the schools, in science, engineering and technology.

Gov. Tom Corbett included $350,000 for the schools in his budget proposal.

The Legislature should agree to that modest investment in the commonwealth's future.

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